Growing up, I was not a boxing fan. I'd never watched a pay-per-view and couldn't have named any current world champions.

I could in professional wrestling and, a bit later, mixed martial arts.

But boxing? I had never been interested and nobody I knew cared about the sport, save for a few who liked it for exercise.

The it happened. HBO started airing this series entitled "24/7." The main character, though it was about two boxers training for an upcoming fight, was Floyd Mayweather.

I, like many young American adults, had almost no idea who he was or why I should care about him. One big reason: He had never lost a fight.

But that's not why the man who calls himself "Money" ushered in a new generation of boxing fans.

He is brash. He is arrogant. He speaks his mind. He goes to jail.

He was made to be a reality TV star, and HBO gave him a great stage. That series made me care about how Mayweather would do in his fight. I don't remember his opponent, but I found somewhere to watch it.

Now I follow the sport. Not just because it's my job, but because "24/7" has done many more series with and without Mayweather and I've gotten to know some of boxing's major players and storylines.

And, weather or not you want to give a man like Mayweather credit, it started with him.